Younger

The basic premise is not bad. I can understand why a 50+ year old woman would be attracted to the idea of looking 20-30 years younger. Unfortunately, there were some gaping holes in the plot of this story that ruined it. Add to that the author's obsession with the minutia of what people ate/drank, brands of clothes & handbags, etc., and the anticlimactic ending, and you are left with nothing but disappointment. Also so many character names (some of which turn out to be aliases) that I had trouble keeping everyone straight. Weird attempt at a twist in the final sentences of the book and I had no idea which character it was about or what the author was trying to tell us.

Younger is a novel that seemed to be part chick lit/women’s fiction and part thriller. The story begins like a thriller and throughout Younger, there are spies, Russians posing as Brits and vice versa, embassy officials, and targets as well as a host of dead bodies. Killings are done off-stage. The protagonist, Anna Wallingham is on the run when the novel opens.

After the prologue concludes, problems arise with the flashback to events that lead up to the prologue. It is a long set of chapters. I ended up being confused, wondering about certain things, having forgotten some of the details mentioned in the prologue and characters introduced after the prologue. The pace of the story bogs down in this middle part as well. If this section, which was the guts of the story, had been interspersed or related in bits and pieces while Anna is on the run I believe that the pacing of the story would have been much quicker, more thriller-like.

After the prologue: Anna Wallingham is a mid-to-late fifties ad executive who is booted out of her job when the company she works for, Coscom is bought by a pharmaceutical company, BarPharm or Barton Pharmaceuticals, which is looking to use its expertise in the development and marketing of medically-based products mainly for the mature age set (think something like IS Clinicals). Lo and behold, Anna lands on a new opportunity—one filled with promises of easy riches—courtesy of BarPharm. After a bit of consideration, Anna adopts a “what the heck” attitude and hires onto be a guinea pig for a set of “Youngskin” or “Younger” skin care cream products that have the power to turn back time—make Anna look like she is in her twenties. There are three lines—each more powerful than the last. For the most part, the one Anna is testing is being developed as the fountain of youth for ageing spies. Anna’s marketing skills also come in handy during the development of a marketing scheme for other two lines destined for retail stores and doctors’ offices.

Shortly after Anna hires on with BarPharm, people start dying around her or act mysteriously, she learns that not all is quite as she has been told and also discovers that her predecessor died under mysterious circumstances. Sensing danger, and not getting any answers to her questions, Anna begins to take steps to protect herself and leave town. Soon thereafter, the story picks back up from where the prologue ended. From there to the end, Younger reverts back to being a thriller. One thing in the conclusion was confusing: Anna’s return from France to Rome via Milan. The trip from France in this reader’s opinion should have ended at Milan and a new chapter started with the arrival in Rome. As it was written, it was hard to tell, until much later, if certain events occurred on the way to Rome or after Anna’s return to Rome.

Overall, Younger is a good chick-lit read—it is an easy read with a subject matter that would appeal to women or those who work in the fashion or beauty industries.

*E-Book obtained free from Amazon, either websites that advertise free to down-to-earth cheap ebooks (Read Cheaply or Bookbub or through Amazon Prime’s Kindle First Benefit.

It bored me from the beginning. Gave it a try for a couple of chapters but couldn't take it no more. Had to delete.

Difficult book to complete. Characters confusing. Found the repeated descriptions of clothing and elaborate places to dine and drink boring. Probably would not read another book by this author.

Poorly written, shallow characters and way too expository prose. This reads like a string of cliches cooked up by a woman who's bitter about her own lot in life.

A real page-turner. This is a brisk, interesting, and sometimes amusing story. Believable characters and plot developments. Fun twists. Clever use of language without being self-consciously precious. Good exploration of the issues women face in the workplace (and in the soul) as they age... feminist without being didactic. Written in a way such that the reader can keep the various characters straight without having to go back and look them up. I greatly enjoyed vicariously traveling to various countries, and living in the shallow-yet-luxe world of high fashion, going with our heroine to places that are "relentlessly chic, absolutely comfort-free, and obscenely expensive - everything the fashion-conscious adored." Great read. Looking forward to future novels by this author.

Refreshing! I loved the premise and could really see this book turned into a film. The ultimate youth cream and an intelligent character. Munshower didn't spare the honesty of how women feel when they realize they've reached a certain age. She addressed the subject with strength and bravery because at 58 (the age of her character) a woman is probably smarter than she's ever been - about the time when most men and younger people start looking past her. At the same time, a woman rarely wishes she was 26 again, the wish is more along the line, of looking younger but keeping the hard earned wisdom and knowledge.

The story is cleanly laid out and well written, places and characters are detailed and believable. Entertaining and fun to read.

This is very enjoyable as a mystery/espionage hybrid with some of the flavor of "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" in terms of the fidelity to a fully modern perspective with up to date insights on technology and brands, but without the more lurid violence of that book. It also contains a thoughtful reflection on how aging affects especially women in our culture. It is full of twists and surprises, and pulls you right into the narrative from the very first page. I definitely recommend it to all.

Intrigue, mystery, espionage, internal and external conflicts, together with a tenuous romance, Suzanne's book has all the elements of a classic. The characters are well fleshed out. There are a few places where the plot gets a bit hard to follow, but she manages to bring it all together in the denouement.

YOUNGER is engaging, it goes at a pretty good clip, and Suzanne does an excellent job of placing the characters (and vicariously, you) in the different international settings through her use of imagery.

The bottom line is I enjoyed the read, and I appreciate the argument the Author makes against the cultural idolization of youth over age. I'm a sucker for a happy ending,and the book delivered!

I really enjoyed this book. A great rainy weekend read. Looking forward to this author's next offering.